Monday

Had another nice dinner, smoky duck and rice from the little place nearby. Went out this morning to take a shot of it when it was nice and empty.

It's pretty much a food court but not in a shopping center. At dinner time it's absolutely packed with people. The roof is an array of electric fans, but it's still pretty warm in there. Food is about $5 for a nice plate with meat or veg and rice and a bowl of soup. Was a good way to fill my tummy and about half an hour.

Roamed around a bit until maybe 7:30 and then headed back to wait for TJ to finish up, she got home and was pretty much ready to crash out.

She finishes earlier today, 5:30 I think, but works through lunch. Tonight we're going on the Night Safari, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Breakfast was good again today, I took a book and had a nice time...

A few plates like that and it's amazing how you don't have to eat lunch to the same extent as usual =) Today you can see fried rice, pancakes, bacon, sausages, spicy noodles and hash brown. And yes, the maple syrup is on top of most of that.

Left the hotel at about 10AM to go to the technology mall. About a 20 min walk I guess. Quite warm and humid, but cloudy today so not so bad as yesterday.

Saw this sign on a bus stop:

A list of how to be gracious to fellow travellers. Very cute.

It's a really neat and tidy city, no litter anywhere.

Got to the mall at about 10:30. Nothing open. Figured yesterday was Sunday and that was why nothing opened until later. Headed back out to wander around and took some pictures of the weird juxtaposition of old and new around here. Church in foreground, big tall cylinder of a building in the background.

I didn't take a picture of the sign that came out properly, but they have so many services at so many times in so many languages that I think it's busy almost all the time. So many old style buildings right next to really tall shiny glass and steel and concrete buildings.

That's the supreme court in the foreground, the fence on the left is because of the works that are going on in preparation for the olympics.

Amazingly enough, compared to the Oz one in Canberra, the entrance to the court has metal detectors, armed guards etc. Needless to say I didn't loiter.

After another half hour walking around I headed back to the technology mall. Not as cool as I thought it would be, just five levels of stores with names like Infrocrom, Microware, Suntronics and Cibermynd.
The massive big lobby screen had the National Geographic channel on. Not ads, not infomercials, not weather, the National Geographic channel. I was tempted to move down there to watch TV!

I spent about two hours there, going up and down and back and forth, all for a mouse. Prices on hard drives were about the same here as back home, maybe a little teeny bit cheaper.
By about 1 I was footsore but had a mouse.

On the way back I thought I should take some pictures of the cultural, um, thingoes that I walk past.

I called this one "Black Dude With Flag in Hand". At some stage I'm going to find out what they represent, but I can't help but stifle a giggle at their chubby little faces.

Meet "Red Fire Dude With Flag in Hand".

This one and the next are facing each other. This guy I called "Sword Dude on Hippo"

And lastly, "Reclining Dude on Elephant". I think I get a better understanding of why Pokemon is so well liked here.

Now it must be time for my afternoon nap =)